Explanatory Memorandum to COM(2000)473 - Concessions in the form of Community tariff quotas for certain agricultural products and providing for an adjustment, as an autonomous and transitional measure, of certain agricultural concessions provided for in the Europe Agreement with the Czech Republic

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dossier COM(2000)473 - Concessions in the form of Community tariff quotas for certain agricultural products and providing for an adjustment, as an ...
source COM(2000)473 EN
date 26-07-2000
1. On 30 March 1999, the Council authorised the Commission to open negotiations for additional mutual agricultural concessions in the framework of the Europe Agreements between the European Community and the associated Central and Eastern European Countries.

2. The negotiations, which have been undertaken in the overall context of the accession process, have been based on Article 21 i of the Europe Agreement with the Czech Republic. Article 21 i provides that the Community and the Czech Republic shall examine in the Association Council, product by product and on an orderly and reciprocal basis, the possibility of granting each other further concessions taking account of the volume of trade in agricultural products between them, of their particular sensitivity, of the rules of common agricultural policy of the Community and of the rules of the agricultural policy of the associated country.

3. According to the Council decision, the negotiations should lead to a fair equilibrium, both in terms of exports and imports, between the interests of the European Community and its Member States and those of the associated countries.

4. The result of the negotiations between the Commission and the Czech Republic on additional agricultural concessions provides for an immediate and full liberalisation of the imports into the Community of some agricultural products, as well as the exports of those products from the Community to the Czech Republic. The scope for concessions within tariff quotas has also been enlarged compared to the reciprocally currently granted concession.

5. As a result of the adjustments agreed with the Czech Republic, a new Additional Protocol to the Europe Agreement with the Czech Republic has to be established. A swift implementation of the adjustments forms an essential part of the results of the negotiations for the conclusion of a new Additional Protocol to the Europe Agreement with the Czech Republic. Because of the duration of the procedure for the adoption of such a new protocol, a new Additional Protocol cannot enter into force on 1 July 2000.

6. A Council Regulation, made on an autonomous and transitional basis, would enable such a swift implementation of the results of the negotiations. This present Council Regulation would be replaced by the new additional protocol on the entry into force of the latter. The same model was used in 1997, to take into account the Agreement on Agriculture concluded during the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations and the consequences of the last EU enlargement.

7. The Czech Republic will also take all necessary legislative provisions, on an autonomous and transitional basis, in order to implement simultaneously the engagements of the Czech Republic issued from the results of the negotiations.

8. The purpose of this proposal is to permit the early implementation, from 1 July 2000, of the results of the agricultural negotiations for the conclusion of a new Additional Protocol to the Europe Agreement with the Czech Republic. It provides for the amendments of the Annexes of the Europe Agreement with the Czech Republic, which set out the concessions granted by the Community on imports originating in The Czech Republic.

9. The Council is requested to adopt the proposed Regulation.